False eyelashes are everywhere at the moment. You only need to look at the red carpet (J Lo and Kim Kardashian or the contestants on Love Island and Love Is Blind to see that the OTT eye look is going absolutely nowhere. While voluminous lashes certainly look glamorous, they can be a nightmare to put on - especially for beginners - with glue either ruining your carefully applied eye-make, or, even worse, getting stuck in your eye.
That said, few lash buys can compete with that near perfect look that a good set of falsies bestow. They've got the symmetry, the volume, the curl, the length, and they're an absolute go-to if you are a fan of the OTT look. There's the lash extension option of course, but what if you really aren't on board with a semi-permanent set of volume-packed lashes? False lashes have their plus points, even if we do have to content with the fiddly application process.
Yes, sometimes, it can feel like it really isn't worth the effort and a few years back, the beauty industry thought of an alternative, hence magnetic lashes were born. The first iteration caused a storm on Instagram when the campaign hit feeds the world over, but the design was a tad clunky. It involved two strips of magnetised lashes per eye, that you placed either side of your natural lash, holding them close so that they snapped together. This wasn't a noddle nor was removal a breeze, in short, definite room for improvement. Cue the next version. These you either apply alongside magnetic gel or magnetic liquid eyeliner, and simply hold the lashes by your lash line. Bam! You’re (supposedly) good to go. They're safe and you can reuse them, but are they too good to be true? Are they really fuss-free? And do they even stick, anyway? We put three pairs to the test. Read on for the verdict.
Magnetic Lashes Reviewed
Magnetic Lashes
1 of 3Ardell Magnetic Accent 002 Lash and Liner Kit, £17.99
These lashes are the best of the bunch. The lashes are applied by gel, instead of a liner - so while the application might not be as seamless, you don't have to coat on loads of layers to get the lashes to stick. They look natural, and I received so many compliments wearing them. (I also re-wore them for a week with no hassle, so the price is definitely worth it.)
2 of 3Eylure ProMagnetic Eyeliner & Lash System - Faux Mink Accent, £20
Again, these lashes are applied by a liner, which needs to dry, and then be reapplied. Because they're accents, they look still natural, while making your eyes pop. They stuck well when I first applied the eyeliner (three coats) but by the end of the day, they had started to escape from my eye.
3 of 3Lola's Lashes - L.W.I Queen Me Magnetic Lash & Liner Set - £35
If you want lash extensions, or you simply want a break from infills, Lola’s Lashes have you sorted with their newest collection, Life Without Infills. Over the years, the magnetic formula Lola’s use has improved dramatically, and their lashes really do a lot longer than usual falsies, meaning they’re definitely worth the pricier tag. (Honestly, one pair lasted three days at Glastonbury!)
READ MORE: Grazia Beauty School: How Do I Apply False Lashes?